“Les Bronzés”: what remains of “sea, sex & sun”? - Coil

WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE IN STYLE…

For sound advice on summer outfits, you will probably find much better guides than “Les Bronzés”. These characters are walking caricatures and the passage of time has probably changed nothing. Among those who are doing the best: Gérard Jugnot, depicted in the latest opus in a bob, polo shirt , Bermuda shorts and boat shoes .

If certain garments seen in the 1978 film have more or less disappeared from circulation since then, others have found a new lease of life in contemporary fashion , through new cuts and natural materials ideal for summer, linen For example. We think first of all... shirts .

Apart from that, what do “Les Bronzés” tell us about fashion in summer? Fortunately since then we have tried to say goodbye to synthetic materials when it is hot or that it is entirely possible to flirt with bad taste with few clothes .

But the big revelation of the original film is undoubtedly that beach clogs, mini swimming trunks and leopard thongs for men did indeed exist . In 1978 as in 2006, the costumes were designed by Cécile Magnan. In short, if we only had to remember three things about the clothing at “Les Bronzés”:

1. FASHION EVOLVES BUT THE FUNDAMENTALS REMAIN

Among the brands that we discover in “Les Bronzés” from 1978, some still exist: Smalto, C&A, Etam, Lacoste . The film's wardrobe is not very focused on research into the materials and textures that we love at BonneGueule. We nevertheless find a few in “Les Bronzés 3”, mainly the Harpo brand already mentioned by Benoit here .

Generally speaking, we imagine a lot of synthetic materials, not very suitable for high temperatures . It's one of the hallmarks of the 70s era - remember, for example, the dreaded acrylic under-sweaters .

The cuts also, especially the pants, betray their age: the so-called bell-bottom period is clearly not yet over. It is not uncommon to also come across shorts or very very short swimming trunks - the current trend is more towards Bermuda shorts and more generous swimsuits . Small curiosity: the clogs that we see here and there have disappeared from circulation. The place is now taken by flip-flops and sandals - lighter, more practical.

Some outfits are sometimes very kitsch, others could easily be worn today. Still others show different clothing cultures - Africa, its colors and its sense of draping and it is far from uninteresting.

In short, we have to sort, as if the film projected us into a vintage thrift store stocked with summer pieces. We then rediscover some nuggets and other evidence. Light pants, for example, are still one of the fundamentals of summer style today.

But you will discover many other timeless or rehabilitated pieces: the t-shirt , the sweatshirt, the shirt, the polo shirt, the bucket hat, the denim jacket , the bandana or Converse . As such, the famous character of Jean-Claude Dusse, subject of the cruelest mockery in the film, is far from being the least stylish of the bunch. This is one of the lessons of the film.

For a leap into the more recent past:

2. SUMMER, THE SEASON OF COLORS AND LIGHT SHADES

We haven't really revolutionized the wheel since "Les Bronzés" in 1978. We always recommend wearing light in summer and we don't hesitate to dare to wear the most joyful colors. Unsurprisingly, you will find a very wide range of summer options on the screen: white, cream, ecru, pink , yellow or blue pastels and many other more daring colors or ones to reinvest - lilac, for example.

Here too, the character of Jean-Claude Dusse is not the last to make proposals. Look at his green sweatshirt , his yellow bathrobe or his purple high-top Converse . The most “charismatic” characters are not necessarily those who take the most style risks. Nor those who dress with the safest taste.

If the characters of Thierry Lhermitte or Christian Clavier act rather as leaders in this story, they owe their status among others to their physique and their personality rather than to their clothing style.

Thierry Lhermitte plays a man who is not necessarily very well dressed . He is distinguished above all by an astonishing obsession with the care given to his clothes - he folds and stores his very fitted white jeans as if they were suit pants. As for Christian Clavier, you won't be able to miss him: he likes miniature swim briefs and leopard thongs - original certainly but on leopard, Nawal has much better suggestions here:

In terms of colors, the first part of “Bronzés” is in all cases much richer than the last one. There are also more outfits. If you are wondering why light colors are recommended in summer , we give you some technical explanations in this article:

3. SIMPLE OUTFITS THAT FIT IN A FEW CLOTHES

It's undoubtedly the most complicated puzzle of the summer: how to gain style while composing with fewer parts? It's also a real paradox: isn't the summer season supposed to be one of free time, letting go and light wardrobe ? All clothing lovers agree on one point: it is by far the least exciting time of the year.

The reason is simple, the summer wardrobe is reduced to nothing: shoes, bottoms, tops, all in materials as light as possible. That's about it when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees. More than any other season, summer invites sartorial pragmatism . Style unfortunately sometimes comes second, and the characters of “Bronzés” are also confronted with this phenomenon:

Not everyone is equally happy. We must therefore see (or not see) the 180 degree turn taken by Jean-Claude Dusse, always him, in the latest opus of “Bronzés”: what the hell has happened in his locker room over the last thirty years ? The incomprehension remains, and the enigma remains complete. On the other hand, for our advice on wearing little clothes in summer, it is confirmed here:

… TO CREATE INSPIRING OUTFITS

Obviously, “Les Bronzés” are not the princes of style. But they tell in their own way a certain history of fashion in France. So where can you find truly inspiring cinema outfits for summer ? I offer you some ideas:

1. “THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY” BY ANTHONY MINGHELLA (1999):

For the style of Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, barely hidden inspiration from the very beautiful English brand VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA » BY WOODY ALLEN (2008)

For the atmosphere, the music, the work of the Spanish costume designer Sonia Grande and the trio formed by Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem.

3. “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” BY LUCA GUADAGNINO (2017):

For the music, the idyllic setting and the style of Timothée Chalamet and Esther Garrel, these two outfits above in particular - but there are many others!

4. “PIERROT THE MAD” BY JEAN-LUC GODARD (1965)

For the white pants and striped shirt from SUMMER 85 » BY FRANÇOIS OZON (2020)

For style suggestions, light denim, the reconstitution of the spirit of the eighties and more generally the work of Belgian costume designer Pascaline Chavanne.

For all our summer style tips: